Folding container



Aug. 4, 1936. G. L, REED ET AL FOLDING CONTAINER F' iled Aug. 12, 1935 INVENTORS.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 4, 1936 stares UE'E'E FOLDING CONTAINER George Lee Reed, Osceola, and Robert G. Woods,

Newton, Iowa Application August 12 1935, Serial No. 35,798

4 Claims.

The principal object of our invention is to provide a box container that can easily and quickly be placed in a folded condition, occupying a small. space, or extended to full size for useful purposes.

A further object of this invention is to provide a'folding collapsible container that has hinged side elements that may be folded inwardly or outwardly. I

A still further object of our invention is to provide a folding box container having .a lid member that may be attached or detached either when the body of the folding box container is collapsed or when it is extended into normal condition.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a folding container that is economical in manufacture and durable in use.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Our invention consists in the construction, ar-

rangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in our claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of our container box extended into normal full sizecondition.

, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of our device taken on line 22 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is atop plan View of our container with its lid removed and one of its swingable side walls and one of its swingable end Walls laid outwardly from its main body.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged inside perspective view of more fully illustrates the manner of securing the 1 various elements to each other at times.

Fig. 5 is a top plan-sectional view of one of the orners of our device formed by two of the movable side wall portions and shows one of the fastening means in operation. I v

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal side-sectional view of our device in folded condition. I e Fig. '7 is a cross-sectional View of our folding container taken on line ll of Fig. 6. Although our folding box may be used for various purposes, it is particularly adapted for use in the transportation of eggs. As is well 50 known, eggs today are shipped in wooden egg crates with the eggs-individually held in collapsible' cardboard retainers. There are many objections to these wooden egg crates. The lids are fastened by nailing and after very little usage in 55 the nailingof these lids onto the crate'and prying them off, both the lids and the crates are, damaged beyond repair.

Also, these wooden crates have a tendency to warp and become unusable. An even further objection to the ordinary egg crate is that it is very difficult to remove the eggs in their cardboard retainers from the crate. However, regardless of whether a box crate is used for the transportation of eggs or other items, they are highly objectionable as they cannot be folded into a small area after they have served their purpose. This is particularly true with the present method of truck transportation. The truck delivers the boxes containing the items and then when returning, hauls the empty boxes back. Obviously, the truck is full, both going and coming which is an economic loss. We have overcome all of such objections by providing a folding container, preferably of metal, which on the return trip may be folded into a small area, leaving a substantial amount of the carrying compartment of the truck empty and for the reception of other goods for haul on the return trip.

Referring to the drawing, we have used the numeral ill to designate the bottom of our container. At the outer marginal edge of this bottom Ill, which is preferably of rectangular design, extend upwardly two vertical rigid side walls It and i2 and two vertical rigid end walls l3 and H}, as shown in the drawing. When our container is made of metal this bottom portion, including the bottom and side and end walls may be pressed or formed from a single sheet of metal. These vertical side and end walls are comparatively low in height and only extend upwardly at a slight distance from the bottom it. The numeral {5 designates a movable side Wall portion hingedly secured at is lower end to the upper marginal edge of the fixed side wall H. The numeral l6 designates a movable side wall portion hingedly secured at its lower end to the upper marginal edge of the fixed side wall E2.

The numeral ll designates a movable end wall portion hingedly secured at its lower end to the upper marginal edge of the fixed end wall E3. The numeral 68 designates a movable end wall portion hingedly secured at its lower end to the upper marginal edge of the fixed end wall M. Obviously, these portions 65, it, H, and i8 may be hingedly secured to the portions 5 l, l 2, l3, and M, respectively by any suitable means, but in the drawing the hinge means used consists in merely providing lugs ,llon the upper portions of the members ll, l2, l3, and M and similar lugs 26 on the lower marginal-edges of the members l5, it,

l1, and I8, staggered relative to each other and bent around rods 2|. Such hinges are common and permit the movable members I5, l6, l1, and 18 to be swung inwardly and over the bottom 10, as shown in Fig. 6, or swung outwardly to extend in directions away from the bottom ID, as shown in Fig. 3. It will here be noted, however, that the curved bent lugs 19 and 20 and rods 2| rest outside of the inside wall plates of the device. This provides a smooth straight surface on the inside of the container, as shown in Fig. 2, and also these lugs and rods provide a peripheral bead around the lower portion of the box and just at' the tops of the fixed walls H, l2, l3, and I4, as shown in Fig. 1. If any other hinge method is used to secure the movable wall portions to the fixed wall portions, it is highly desirable that such a flange bead be provided in some manner, as will later be appreciated. The numeral 22 designates a hand hold or ventilation opening in some of the movable wall portions, as shown in the drawing. The numeral 23 designates a bead formed on the upper marginal edge of the two side movable wall portions 15 and 16.

The numeral 24 designates an inwardly extend- 7 ing flange on'each of the side edges of each of the movable end wall portions I1 and 18. These flanges rest adjacent and parallel with the movable side wall portions, respectively, when the device is in open extended condition. The numeral 25 designates an entrance slot in the upper end portion of each of the flanges 24, as shown in Fig. 4. These entrance slots extend first inwardly and then downwardly. The numeral 26 designates a vertical slot in each of the upper corner ends of each of the movable side wall portions. Each of these vertical slots 26 registers with one ofthe entrance slots 25. The numeral 21 designates a double headed rivet slidably mounted in each of the vertical slots 26. The upper corner ends of the movable side wall portions and the movable end wall portions are detachably secured together by the utilization of these slots 25 and 26 and double headed rivets 21 and is accomplished as follows. The movable wall portions are placed in vertical positions with the double headed rivets slid to their extreme upward positions. shanks or portions between their two spaced apart heads enter the vertical or inwardly extending portions of the slot openings 25 and as these slots 25 are registering with their adjacent vertical slots 26, respectively, it is merely necessary to manually move these double headed rivets downwardly. The downward movement of these rivets will slide them downwardly in their vertical'slots 26 and the downwardly extending vertical portions of the slots 25 to a position such as that shown in Fig. 4. When in such position, each rivet will have its inner head engaging the inside of one of the flanges 24, its stem or connecting shank extending through the lower portion of a slot 25 and the lower portion of a slot 26, and its other head engaging the outside of one of the movable side wall portions, thereby looking a movable end wall portion to a movable side wall portion.

To quickly detach the movable side wall portions from the movable end wall portions it is merely necessary to manually slide the double headed rivets 21 upwardly to positions where the movable end portions may be swung outwardly and clear the shanks of the rivets by virtue of the upper portions of the entrance slots 25. Obvi- With these rivets in this position their ously, only one of the movable end portions may be thus detached and permitted to swing outwardly or inwardly, or if it is desired, one movable end portion and one movable side portion may be detached and swung outwardly or inwardly, such as shown in Fig. 3. By detaching both of the movable end portions from the movable side portions all of these movable wall portions may be swung outwardly or folded over the bottom II]. It is often highly desirable to fold outwardly one or more of the movable wall portions to facilitate the emptying or filling of the container and this is especially true when our container is used for the transportation of eggs. With one or more of the movable walls swung outwardly, whole sections of the eggs in their cardboard retainers may be lifted into or removed from the container. Usually, a container such as ours will be substantially twice as long as it is wide and it is sometimes desirable and especially desirable in the shipment of eggs, to have a detachable dividing board dividing the containerinto two compartments, such as shown in Fig. 3. We have designated such a dividing board by the numeral 28. This dividing board 28 may be detachably secured in any manner. In the drawing, we show it having side flanges 29. Such flanges give it strength and support in engaging the bottom Ill. When in operative position, this dividing board may have its lower edge engaging a slotted retaining member or members 36 in the bottom of the container, as shown in the drawing, for preventing longitudinal movement of the lower end of the board relative to the container.

The upper portions of the side flanges of the dividing board have entrance slots 25 the same as the flanges 24. When the dividing board is in normal position these entrance slots that extend first inwardly and then downwardly, register with certain vertical slots 26 in the upper central portion of each of the movable side wall portions and are exact duplicates of the vertical slots 25 near the upper corners of these walls. These lastmentioned vertical slots also have double headed rivets 21 capable of engaging the entrance slots of the dividing board, their operation being exactly the same as that herebefore described for the double headed rivets at each corner of the device. When the container is folded to conserve space the paper retainers, if any, of the eggs are placed on the bottom l0 with the detached dividing board and then' the two movable end wall portions are folded'inwardly over the same and the movable side wall portions then folded inwardly,

one of which of course will be under the other. r

All of these foldable elements will fold substantially within and below the upper marginal edges of the fixed side and end walls ll, I2, I3, and 14, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The numeral 3| designates our lid member. This lid member has its two side marginal edge portions curved inwardly and downwardly as shown in the drawing and which we have designated by the numerals '32 and 33. When our container is in normal extended condition this lid is slid into covering position onto the container by its bent marginal side edge portions extending around the bead flanges 23 on the upper marginal edges of the movable side portions, as shown in Fig. 2. The numeral 34 designates a stop flange formed on one marginal end portion of the lid. To remove the lid it is merely necessary to longitudinally slide it from the container and out of engagement with the bead flanges on the movable side wall'portions.

When the lid portion is in position on the container its curved marginal edge portions 32 and 33 will rest just above the outer heads of the rivets 21 when the rivets 21 are in lowered locking positions. By this construction and arrangement of parts, when the lid is in position on the container the double headed rivets 21 will be prevented from upward movements, thereby eliminating any possibility of the movable wall portions becoming accidentally unlocked from each other. This is a highly important phase of our invention and makes possible the use of our container with full assurance that it will not become unlocked in transit. With the lid removed, however, the double headed rivets may be then easily and quickly lifted to upper positions for detaching the movable wall portions. With all of the movable wall portions folded inwardly and over the bottom l0 as herebefore described, the lid member may be easily and quickly slid onto the folded container with its bent side marginal edges slidably engaging the peripheral bead formed by the lugs l9 and 20 and rods 2|, as shown in Fig. 7. With the lid in such position the folded container will be very rigid and all of the loose or movable parts will be completely and tightly contained within the lower portion of the container. The complete folded container will have a height substantially that of the height of the fixed wall portions ll, l2, l3, and 14, thereby making possible the conservation of much spacefor transportation or storage purposes which could not be possible if the container were not foldable.

From the above, it will readily be seenthat our container is highly desirable for truck transportation usage, but can also be used to great advantage with other methods of transportation or storage where it is desired that the containers, when not filled, occupy a minimum amount of space.

Although our containers may be made of different materials it is particularly recommended that they be made of comparatively light, strong metal and when they are so constructed they are practically non-destructible. When they are filled, they are easily lifted by the utilization of the hand hold openings 22 and when they are folded, they may be easily lifted and handled due to their compactness.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of our improved folding container without departing from the rear spirit and purpose of our invention, and it is our intention to cover by our claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

We claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a rectangular bottom portion, four walls hingedly secured to said bottom portion, flange elements on two of said walls, an entrance slot passageway in each of said flange elements, slot passageways in each of said walls not having flange elements, and a double headed element slidably mounted in each of said slot passageways capable of also entering and engaging an entrance slot passageway in one of said flange elements.

2. In a device of the class described, a rectangular bottom portion, four walls hingedly secured to said bottom portion, flange elements on two of said walls, an entrance slot passageway in each of said flange elements, vertical slot passageways in said two walls not having flange elements each capable of registering with one of said entrance slot passageways in one of said flange elements when said walls are in vertical positions, an element slidably mounted in each of said slot passageways capable of engaging the entrance slot passageway adjacent to it and holding said walls to each other when moved to a lowered position, and a detachable lid engaging said walls and preventing the upward movement of said elements slidably mounted in said slot passageways when in a closed position.

3. In a device of the class described, a rectangular bottom portion, four walls hingedly secured to said bottom portion, flange elements on two of said walls, an entrance slot passageway in each of said flange elements, vertical slot passageways in said two walls not having flange elements each capable of registering with one of said entrance slot passageways in one of said flange elements when said Walls are in vertical positions, an element slidably mounted in each of said slot passageways capable of engaging the entrance slot passageway adjacent to it and holding said walls to each other when moved to a lowered position, a longitudinal bead on each of said two side walls having vertical slot passageways; said longitudinal beads being positioned directly above said vertical slot passageways respectively, and a slidable lid having marginal edge portions loosely bent around said two longitudinal beads respectively.

4. In a device of the class described, a base member, a wall hingedly secured to said base member, a second wall hingedly secured to said base member, a flange on said second wall, an entrance passageway in said flange extending first inwardly and then downwardly, a straight elongated slot passageway in said first-mentioned wall, and an element having two spaced apart head members slidably mounted in said elongated slot passageway in said flrst-mentioned wall capable of entering and engaging said entrance passageway with one of its heads on the outside of said first-mentioned wall and its other head member on the far side of said flange from said first-mentioned wall.

GEORGE LEE: REED. ROBERT G. WOODS. 

